Rescued red squirrel Stormy 'living his best life'

A baby red squirrel who nearly died after being caught in last weekend's torrential rain has been nursed back to health and will soon be released back into the wild.

The almost-lifeless body of baby Stormy was found in Perth on Saturday by two young brothers.

They carefully wrapped him in tissues and a plastic bag, before calling for help from local wildlife volunteers.

Then said he was recovering well "living his best squirrel life".

Katie McCandles, from Missing Pets Perth and Kinross, said Stormy - as he has been named by volunteers - was thought to be about eight weeks old.

He was found in woodlands near the Necessity Brae area of Perth by two brothers, aged three and seven, who were out for a woodland walk with their mum.

The team believed that Stormy had been blown out of a tree during high winds.

After being soaked in Saturday's torrential rain, she suspects he had been too weak to get off the ground.

• Perth residents criticise floodgates closure delay

• Red squirrel numbers on the rise in Scotland

Christine Faulds Quinn, from Missing Pets, collected the soaked kit.

"He was absolutely drenched," she told BBC Scotland's The Nine. "I sat with him down my top and cuddled him, dried him off with a towel."

'Squirrel paradise'

His carers took advice from one of the members of the network who has experience of caring for squirrels.

They quickly arranged a warm bed for Stormy, feeding him baby formula through a small syringe then offering him snacks of nuts, apples and broccoli.

His convalescence is continuing for another few weeks in a new cage which has been furnished with a squirrel-sized hammock.

Stormy perked up quickly after he dried out

Stormy is now doing "really well", and "living in his own little squirrel paradise", Ms McCandles said.

In a few weeks, she hopes he can return to the wild.

A safer, rural area away from busy roads has been identified for him to be released where he will be under the watchful eye of a volunteer.

A selection of squirrel boxes are now under construction, which will be placed around the new area for him to move into.

What's so special about red squirrels?

According to the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, red squirrels are the only native squirrel in the UK, and the species have lived on the island longer than humans.

But about 150 years ago, grey squirrels from America were introduced.

This has led to competition for food, with grey squirrels coming out on top and red squirrels being "starved out", the trust says.

Grey squirrels also carry diseases which can kill red squirrels.

Urbanisation is another pressure hurting the red squirrel population.

There has been concern that red squirrels could be wiped out in the UK, but research suggests that efforts to increase their numbers have been successful with higher numbers red squirrel sightings being reported.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust encourages the public to report sightings of squirrels, to allow populations to be monitored.